The White Wolves “I Won’t Be Around” Single Review

The White Wolves newest track and third single “I Won’t Be Around” gives off some serious John Mayer vibes. The song places you in a state of total relaxation and sedation: you’re content just sitting there, soaking it all in. “You’re never gonna see me break on down, because I won’t be around” - a sentiment sure to stick with you. “There’s healing in pain, and there’s loss, and there’s gain” is another line that tugs on every heartbroken string.

“‘I Won’t Be Around’ was actually the second song Todd and I had written together,” said White Wolves co-founder Chuck Feltner. “But at the time we were still dealing with the context of the song on a daily basis. We weren’t emotionally ready to release the song - the story was still unfolding. Now we are ready to talk about the past and move forward.”

Doing things a bit differently, The White Wolves - the musical brainchild of Feltner (interior designer) and tour manager Todd Burman - are the masterminds behind the songwriting and musicianship, but leave the vocals and production up to whoever they feel fits the song best. For “I Won’t Be Around,” the duo tapped Nashville-based artist Ryan Steele for vocals, and GRAMMY Award-winning Joe West (Keith Urban, Tim McGraw, Justin Timberlake) for production.

Given this being The White Wolves’ third single, Steele’s vocals provided an underlying layer of depth both Burman and Feltner needed to best deliver “I Won’t Be Around.” The song’s production does a great job of building suspense throughout the verse leading into the chorus, which levels out and offers listeners a musical sigh of relief. The overall combination of vocals and instrumentation has the means to soothe your soul in a way you did not know you needed - it’s a track that clings to you, leaving you wanting more.

“Writing ‘I Won’t Be Around’ was totally organic,” said Burman. “It was what we were inspired by at the time, and this song actually helped define the artistry behind The White Wolves becoming unbound by any genre or style — as it was the complete opposite to the first single ‘Burning It Down.’ This song was a gift and came relatively effortlessly to us.”

Mutual life turmoil brought Burman and Feltner together - and we’re sure glad it did. The band’s previous singles - “Burning It Down” and “Revolution” provide stellar insight into the duo’s true storytelling capabilities. Though the title of the current single is “I Won’t Be Around,” we have a feelling their unique sound and creative process will keep them around for quite some time.